The New leader

7:23 a.m, October 28, 2020...the sun shines over the main temple of the base.

"Lord Fujita, may I enter? I have the documents you've asked for.", A secretary politely asked while standing outside the office door with a handful of papers.

After no response, she slowly peaked into the office. After the scene she had just witnessed, her gaze widened with shock.

"Ahhhhhh!", the secretary screamed, dropping her papers on the floor and running out of the door.

Lord Fujita had been assassinated during the night, his throat slit and the dried blood staining his body with the passed time. It did not take long for this dreadful news to spread through the base. Whispers begin take shape within the base, many speculating what had happened the night before.

On his day off, Kurashi slowly opened his eyes, awakening to a new day. He slid open his door and walked into the kitchen to make some coffee. Once the coffee was finished, Kurashi went to throw the coffee bag away. As he opened the trash can, he saw that it was filled with tissues tainted with blood. Without much thought, he tossed the bag into the can. Coffee in hand, he sits down in the living room and turns on the TV.

"Good morning Japan, with Halloween around the corner, tension is steadily growing. Costumes are selling out quickly, so get them while you still-", the news lady states before Kurashi switches the TV channel.

"Rising concern as more girls have gone missing within the Toyama prefecture. The police have now began to investigate the case, and are taking it very seriously. We advice everyone to be cautious when out at night, especially women between the ages of 14-30. Now over to Niji-", the man on broadcast stated before Kurashi abruptly turned off the TV. 

At the main office, Hikari stood in the doorway, the corpse still in the chair. He took a few steps in the room before a voice came from behind him.

"Sir, we're ready to take the body.", a man stated from the doorway of the office.

"And the funeral?", Hikari questioned as he looked over his shoulder.

"It will be ready by tomorrow morning.", the man replied.

Hikari turned his gaze back to the corpse sitting in front of him.

"You can take your leave now.", Hikari commanded.

"Yes sir...", the man responded before walking out of the door.

Hikari surveyed the room from right to left before slowly walking up to the front of the desk to examine the dead body.

"An assassination...a clean kill with no evidence left behind. Something only the most skilled and experienced could do...", Hikari said to himself.

After examining the scene thoroughly, he took a step back from the desk.

"I'm sorry Lord Fujita...may you find peace in the afterlife.", Hikari stated in respect while bowing his head, then walked out of the room.

Walking through the streets to get some fresh air, Kurashi couldn't help but listen in to those that speculated around him.

"Lord Fujita was assassinated?", a women stated in shock.

"Yeah, they found his body earlier this morning.", a man responded.

"That's terrible...How could that have happened?", the lady said in grief.

"No one knows...they haven't been able to find any leads yet.", the man stated with concern.

After taking his walk through the base, Kurashi went on his way back to the house. Upon entering, Kurashi walked into the living room to see Hikari sitting on the couch, his hands covering his face. Hearing the subtle footsteps of Kurashi, Hikari took his hands off of his face and lifted his head, his eyes red and puffy.

"Oh, your back...", Hikari said in a friendly tone.

Kurashi ignored the welcoming, walking into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge.

"I don't know if you've heard, but Lord Fujita is-", Hikari stated in a formal tone before being cut off.

"Dead? I know...", Kurashi responded in a monotone voice.

"The funeral is being held tomorrow morning. You need to go...", Hikari said in a serious voice.

After grabbing the water bottle, Kurashi walks to his room.

"I will...", Kurashi said softly before closing his door.

Early the next morning, the ceremony had begun. At the gravesite where the Fujita family rested, the people of Naishotetsu gathered in all black to mourn. Through the ceremony, the clouds above slowly began to turn grey. As rain slowly began to fall, Hikari stepped up to say the final words of the ceremony.

"Let us show one final sign of gratitude", Hikari stated formally as he bowed his head to the gravestone, "Lord Fujita...may you rest in peace".

Everyone else then lowered their heads in unison, showing respect to Lord Fujita. With the ceremony now over, everyone went back home except Hikari. He stood in silence at the site for a while before going to the main office. As Hikari walked in the door, the office was spotless, as if nothing had happened there. He walked over to the desk and sat down in the chair, the heavy rainfall echoing from outside the window behind him.

"Everyone...I'll do my best to fulfill the expectations you have placed upon me.", Hikari stated to himself while looking up at the ceiling.